Masai Mara National Park

These Ellies are eating some pretty spiny acacia tree branches. Mama and her babe who we watched nursing for as long as the guide would let us.

Whoops! Too tall for the camera!

I love watching giraffes run- so graceful and awkward at the same time.
A peaceful scene that stunk to high heavens... do you see the rotting carcasses of wildebeests that got trampled in their last crossing? We were in the Masai Mara at the time of the great wildibeest migration, when 100 000s or 1 000 000s of them cross from the Masai Mara (Kenya) to the Serengeti (Tanzania). We saw them in great long lines, in big groups at the precipice of a river, and some that were dead and unsuccessful... Unfortunately we didn't get to watch them actually get in the water. They can wait at the edge of the water for days, and we just didn't have the time to wait.
Hippos sunbathing. They can't do this for very long though- they have surprisingly sun-sensitive skins. Hippo footprints from their nightly forays. They are vegetarian, but are the number one four-legged people-killer in Kenya.

Our first anniversary!!! Ahhhhh....
Here are the wildibeest, waiting to cross the river... and waiting... and waiting... One guy went down to the water's edge, but never got his hooves wet.
The long line of wildibeest- and a big pack of them in the background, looking like ants. Wherever we turned there were wildibeest. We drove right into the middle of this pack! (slowly)
Here's the view from the inside! Zebra also hang out with wildibeest quite a lot.


A loooooong train with no beginning and no end. On it's way to Tanzania.
You all know what this is.
Sleepy.




Nearing dusk.

Two ladies.
And their man?
Entertainment at our campsite.
Mike joins the entertainment...




A glorious dawn.

Life...
and death. Caution! Cross walk! This black rhino just popped out of no where, just as we were about to leave the park! He reminds me of a crossing guard escorting those birds across (Oxpeckers, perhaps).

Mike bought a drum here. They had high pressure sales people that glued themselves onto you when you entered. I felt badly because so few tourists had come lately (post election violence), but good because we were at least buying something from them. It was so ironic. Our guide was all about rushing us through seeing the animals, but was all about making us stop at places like this for a LONG time.